The news of the duel between Andy and Daru spread across the entire Delta Islands like wildfire. It was set for the next day, and everyone was buzzing about who would be crowned the West Blue's number one sniper. In a luxurious hotel room, Robin sat opposite Andy, a puzzled look on her face.
"Andy," she began, "why did you set the time for noon tomorrow?"
Andy had just flopped onto a plush sofa. "Because he doesn't just want to reclaim his title," he explained, "he also wants to prove that his skills can do what others can't."
Robin's bewilderment only grew. "What do you mean, 'what others can't'?"
Andy leaned forward slightly. "Tomorrow's weather forecast calls for a high chance of rain and strong winds right around noon. That kind of weather is the ultimate test for a sniper. If Daru can beat me under those conditions, his reputation will skyrocket."
A wave of worry washed over Robin's face. She knew there was no way to talk Andy out of this, and all she could do now was hope he would win.
Seeing her concern, Andy gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Robin. Trust me. I wouldn't do this if I wasn't confident. I'm not gonna do anything I'm not confident about."
He knew she was worried about him losing, especially since Daru's bounty of 29 million Berries was so close to his own. But Andy wasn't concerned. He knew his physical strength was far beyond Daru's, and Daru was only famous for his sniping skills, not his power. Plus, Andy still had over 30 million bounty points to use. If he invested all of those, his real strength would be much higher than his current bounty suggested.
"Alright, I'll stop trying to talk you out of it," Robin said with a serious tone. She stood up, a determined look in her eyes. "I'll go have someone prepare your food. You eat so much, and you need to be in your best condition for the duel tomorrow."
With that, she left the room. As soon as the door closed, Andy's expression changed. He immediately brought up his system panel.
Host: Garfield Andy
Age: 15
Height: 236 cm
Body Techniques: None
Swordsmanship Proficiency (Swordsman): 60/100 (Can add points, will undergo qualitative change after max level)
Observation Haki Proficiency (Normal): 10/100 (Can add points, will undergo qualitative change after max level)
Devil Fruit: None
Physical Strength: 28 million Berries level (Can add points)
Bounty Points: 31.4 million points
System Warehouse: Various Berries, various dining utensils, various clothes, blankets, quilts, one tent, one sniper rifle, a broken Tang Hengdao, a jet ski.
Andy mentally commanded, "System, use 10 million bounty points to strengthen my Physical Strength and 20 million points to strengthen my Observation Haki!"
A chime sounded in his mind.
Ding~
Strengthening… Strengthening complete!
In a flash, his physical strength increased to the 38 million Berries level, and his Observation Haki proficiency jumped from 10/100 to 30/100.
Not long after, Robin returned with a waiter pushing a dining cart piled high with food. Andy's eyes lit up.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed, taking a bite. "Sea King meat! Where did you get this?"
He had only tasted a little bit of it before in Asriel, and it was incredibly expensive.
"I asked the hotel, but they don't know where it came from either," Robin replied, resting her chin on her hand and smiling softly as she watched him eat. "How is it? You need to be in top shape for your duel tomorrow, you know."
"It's incredible!" Andy blurted out, his mouth full of roasted meat. "If there's any food in the world that's better than this, it's gotta be a dazzling dish made by Little Chef with Sea King meat!"
The name caught Robin's attention. "Little Chef? Who's that? A very skilled cook?"
"He's a special-grade chef who can make dazzling dishes, for sure!" Andy said indistinctly.
"If we ever get the chance, you have to take me to try it," Robin said, a gentle smile on her face. However, a flicker of loneliness and reluctance flashed in her eyes before vanishing. "I've never had a dazzling dish before."
Andy froze for a moment. Where am I supposed to find Little Chef?!
He quickly made something up. "He's… a bit hard to track down. But I promise, if I find him, I'll definitely take you." Andy then changed the subject. "By the way, aren't you going to eat anything?"
"You go ahead and eat. I'm not like you, eating so much all the time. So it's a promise, then? You'll take me?" Robin said, completely oblivious to his lie.
"Mmm-hmm," Andy mumbled, quickly burying his face in the food.
After a moment, Robin spoke again. "Oh, could you get my luggage out for me? I have some time now, so I need to sort through the information I've collected."
"Sure!" Andy said, pulling her luggage out of his system space without a second thought.
Robin picked up her bags and said, "You keep eating. I'll be in my room working."
"Got it, Robin."
She walked to her room on her long, wheat-colored legs and closed the door behind her. As soon as she was alone, warm tears welled up in her eyes and silently streamed down her cheeks. She stifled a sob, knowing Andy's Observation Haki would pick up on any noise. She could only hate herself in her heart.
Andy, please don't blame me...
Just as she heard a thud from outside her door, Robin opened it and rushed over to the unconscious Andy. She couldn't hold back anymore, and a quiet sob escaped her lips. But she quickly wiped her tears away, gently caressed his cheek, and then carefully moved him to the sofa.
A look of pain and reluctance returned to her face. She sat beside him for more than ten minutes, just watching him. Then she walked back into her room and emerged with her backpack on. She bent down and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.
Goodbye, Andy... she thought silently.
Suppressing her sorrow, she walked out of the suite, her figure looking utterly lonely and desolate.
She left the hotel and walked to a dark alley. "I've done what you asked with Andy," she said, her voice completely devoid of emotion. "Now you can let me go, right?"
"Hehehe~" a chilling laugh echoed from the shadows. "That's the Nico Robin I know and love."
--------------------------------------------------
For Advanced chapters Visit :: patreon.com/Kaguyahime20